The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-10

IEXAR'S REVENGE
BY JULES VERNE.
A Story Of the American Civil War.

/
An hour afterwards Texar and his comrades,
! having had quite enough to drink, appeared on
| the upper deck of the Shannon.
AS Texar mounted the last of the steps on to
| the upper deck, a woman met him on her way
| down to the interior of the saloon. When she
found herself face to face with him, she stepped
back. She was a half-breed in the service of the
| Burbank family; her first movement had been
| one of unconquerable repulsion at finding her.
| self suddenly face to face with the declared en-
envy of her master.
| Texar gave her an evil look she stepped
| back and then, struggling his shoulders, he
/ Joined his companions
eyes, it is Zermah" he said; zone Of the slaves
/ of Mr. James Burbank, who says he does not APP
/ prove of slavery"
Zermah made no reply. When the way to the
saloon clear she went down it without turn-
ing to take notice of the observation.
| Texar strolled toward the bow of the steam
boat; there after lighting cigar, he apparently
| dismissed from his notice the friends who had
| followed him, and began watch with some
| attention the left bank of the St Johns along
the border Of Putnam county.
| Meanwhile, the after-deck of the Shannon,
/ the conversation had the When
| Zermah went, Burbank had remained with two
| of his friends who had accompanied him to ST.
| Augustine. One his brother-in-law, Edward
! Carroll, the other Mr.. Walter Stannard,
/ Floridap living at Jacksonville They were
talking with considerable animation of the san
| culinary strife of which the issue was a question
of life or death to the United States. But. as we
shall see. Burbank's opinion of the issue differed
| considerably from Texar's
II am anxious" said he, ito get back to Cam
| dless Bay. We have been two days away. Per-
how - no has
! Dupont and Sherman now masters of Port
| Royal and the islands of South Carolina"
| anyhow, it will not be long before they are"
said Carol, ''and shall be much astonished if
| President Lincoln does not carry the war into
! Florida"
'.And it will not be before it is time" said
Burbank. 1T is quite time that the will Of the
| Union should be imposed the Southerners of
Georgia and Florida, who fancy they too far
| off to be reached. See to what degree of inso-
| lence vacabonds like Texar are led! He feels
/ that he is supported by the Shareholders and
| excites them against us Northerners. whose po-
| sition, which gets more and more difficult every
| day, lays open to the backwash of the war;
'Ycu are right, James," said Edward Carroll
sit is of consequence that Florida should return
| possible to the authority of the Wash
| ington government. If the federal army does
| not come quickly we shall have to abandon our
plantations"
'It may be only question of days, Burbank"
said Stannard. when left Jackson Vile the
| day before yesterday people were getting I'M
| easy at the news of Commodore Dupont's sup
! posed plans for opening up the St Johns, and
| that would give pretext for threatening those
who do not think with the sIaveowners 1 am
afraid that rising would turn ont the authori-
ties of the town in favor Of fellows of the worst
description"
II should not be surprised if it did," said Bur
bank eve shall have had a bad time of it till
| the federal army comes; but it cannot be
helped"
What do2" asked Walter Stannard
Surprising there exist at Jacksonville and
other places a few brave colonists. who think
as we do on this slave question, they are not
strong enough to Withstand the secesslonists
| We can only reckon for safety on the arrival of
the federalists, and wish that when interven-
ton is decided on it will take place without de-
lay"
Yes Would they were hare to deliver us
| from these blackguards!"
The passengers chiefly Foridans, whose
business did not require their crossing the
frontier. All of them were jewellers in the
| towns or villages the ST. Johns and it's aflu-
ents and for the most part lived at st. Angus
tine or Jacksonville. As the different places
they landed and embarked either by the gang
ways from wharves. by piers built out in
the English fashion.
One of the passengers intended, however TO
| quit the steamer in mid-stream. His plan was
| to leave her at part of the river where there
| was no wharf or pier nor village. nor isolated
| house, hunting or fishing hut in
| sight.
The passenger was Texar.
| About o'clock the Shannon gave three sharn
screams from her steam whistle Her wheels
| were almost Immediately stopped and she began
| to drift along with the stream, which hereabouts
| runs slowly. She then off the entrance of
| Black creek.
This creek is deep cash in the left bank into
| which flows small river of the same name
| which runs by the foot of Fort Heilman. almost
the boundary between Putnam and Duyal
counties. It's narrow opening is entirely hidden
beneath arch of bougns and foliage matted
togetner, and close as the wool Of some close
tissue. This gloomy lagoon was almost I'M
known to the people of the country. No one
knew that Texar had there his dwelling. The
opening of the creek seemed in no way to break
into the line of the bank. and as night was fall
ing rapidly, 1t would require very skllful boat
man to take boat into such a place.
AT the first whistle of the Shannon. shout
had come in answer-three times. A light burn
ing among the trees the bank was put in mo-
ton, showing that canoe was coming out to
meet the steamer.
1t only skiff-a little bark boat driven
by one paddle. Soon the skiff was half a cable
length from the Shannon.
Texar stepped up to the front of the fore deck.
and making speaking trumpet with his hands.
shouted:
"Ahoy"
"Ahoy" came back in answer.
.Is that you. Squambol7
sYes, master!"